Chapter 14: 13 ¦ Body and Soul-1

Mastering astral projection turned out to be a royal pain in the neck. Quite literally. Every time I tried to cast the spell, some dark-haired, pale, skinny Royal bimbo decided to break out into a hysterical fit of squeaky laughter. No amount of glaring would make her shut up. Every time my magic failed, my cervical receptors burned as though someone had set them on fire. Clearly, some people didn't realize the purpose of a library. "This is pointless," I said to Peter in a frustrated whisper. "It's never going to work as long as that nitwit's here." "We could go to a private, secluded study room," he replied. "No, thanks." "They have windows, you know," he said with a sigh. "You wouldn't have to worry about my intentions or your reputation. The walls and furniture are all bare. No distractions." "Fine." I sighed when the fool cackled again and squeezed her boyfriend's bicep. "Maybe that'd be for the best." We packed up our stuff just as she began to make out with her Barbarian boyfriend right in the middle of the reading hall. Only a Royal could get away with such nonsense. If she were anyone else, a librarian would tell her off quicker than you could say, Stop eating his face! "Ugh, seriously," I muttered. "The nerve," Peter said, his eyes twinkling. "Doesn't that annoy you?" "After eighty thousand years, give or take, you learn to ignore annoying people." He shrugged. "Or you become a murderer. I chose the former." We closed the door to the study room and sat at the narrow desk. "Ah, peace and quiet," I said, closing my eyes with a sigh of relief. "Snug and cozy," Peter smirked as he scooted closer to me. "Don't push your luck, old man." I pointed at the chair opposite. "Sit across from me." "Pfft, old man." He pursed his lips. "Technically, I'm only two years older than you." With a heavy sigh, I cupped my forehead. "Right, so how do I draw enough mana again? I keep failing at the crucial moment." "Try this," he said in a serious tone. "Imagine your power is located in a deep well. Can you picture that in your mind?" "Yes," I said, my eyes closed. "Now, get a large bucket and lower it into the well until you hear a splash." In my mind's eye, I envisioned a large, empty keg. Adjusting it to fit the mechanism, I lowered the bucket into the well. A glugging sound echoed as water rushed into it. "Good, Liselle. Now turn the crank to raise the bucket and drink the water." "All of it?" "Yes." Grasping the bucket in both hands, I gulped the icy water and grimaced. To my surprise, the liquid burned all the way down, turning into a raging fire inside my chest and stomach. The sensation made me dizzy, and I gripped the edge of the desk to keep myself steady. A painful tingling like tiny lightning bolts coursed through my veins as my magical power raced towards my receptors. "I feel it! I feel it, Peter!" "Good, good," he said, his voice laced with enthusiasm. "Now draw it towards your hands until they begin to burn inside. When you can't hold it in any longer, say Avian sight." With a nod, I followed his advice. My hands pulled on my mana until a point of spongy pressure grew inside my palms. As the tension increased, my receptors began to tingle, then burn like a raging fire. "Yes, Liselle! You've got this! Ready?" I nodded. "And…now!" "Avian sight." My soul began to peel away from my physical form with a series of little rips and tears, like someone slowly peeling away an adhesive from a half-scabbed, weeping wound. The harder I tried, the more it felt like someone skinning me alive. "Peter!" I cried as involuntary tears poured down my face. "I can't! It hurts too much." "Yes, you can!" he exclaimed as he grasped my hand. "Keep going." After a final series of rips, my soul finally tore free. A pained cry escaped from my lips as my spirit floated to the ceiling. My essence peered down at my physical body, sitting there with Peter, tears trailing down my cheeks. Peter was holding my hands with a look of tenderness and pride. "Yes, you did it!" He gazed up at me--at my pure spiritual essence--and gasped. "You're beautiful, Liselle." Without a physical form, I couldn't respond, but my soul watched as a faint blush spread across my cheeks. My essence detected Peter's unadulterated joy like sunshine on a cold winter's day. "I've never seen a soul so pure before," he whispered. "It's alabaster, like the purest light." He stared for a while until he turned his head and cleared his throat. "Now return to your body, Liselle. If you stay away from your body too long, it puts too much strain on the system." When I tried to dive towards my physical self, I couldn't move from the ceiling. No matter how much I pushed or pulled, strained or pressed, neither my spiritual nor physical form could move. My soul began to panic. How do I return? Peter furrowed his brow and shook my hands. "Liselle?" Straining against the ceiling, I willed myself back to my body. No matter what I tried, I couldn't move. Am I dying? "Wake up!" Peter yelled as he shook my hands. "Come back!" I can't! Help me! "Grab the tether, Liselle." Despite his efforts to keep his voice calm, my soul felt a tinge of panic emanating from his essence. "Do you see it? It's a chain linking your body to your soul." My essence frantically searched for the chain. Once I found it, I pulled myself along until I reached the ground. With a forceful leap, I sprang back into my physical body. My eyes flew open with a gasp. "Oh, gods!" "You made it!" he exclaimed, exhaling a sharp breath. Peter tightened his grip on my hands, and a jolt of energy surged between us as though I'd grabbed hold of a spear of lightning. Tiny white sparks danced across our joined hands and trailed up our arms. When I yelped in surprise, he let go of my hands, and a faint blush swept across his cheeks. "What was that?" I asked, breathless. He cleared his throat and straightened his collar. "Congratulations, Liselle. You've just mastered the hardest spell this year." "What were those sparks?" I asked, staring at my tingling hands. "Did I cast another spell?"